Rita’s thinking pink in first musical role

OMG you guys!!! Legally Blonde The Musical comes to Blackpool next week in an explosion of hot pink and glitter.

The new production, directed and choreographed by Anthony Williams, of the smash Broadway hit follows homecoming queen Elle Woods (Lucie Jones) who ditches shopping sprees for college fees when her boyfriend dumps her for someone more serious.

With the support of her best friend Paulette Bonafonte (Rita Simons), and guidance of her tutor Prof Callahan (Bill Ward), does Elle have what it takes to compete at Harvard Law School?

Rita, who plays Paulette, said: “The cast are amazing. We are so lucky to have such a nice cast who are talented beyond talented.

“We have been sold out pretty much everywhere we have been.”

Rita is better known as the glamorous Roxy Mitchell, the EastEnders bad girl whose tragic death in last year’s New Year’s Day special shocked fans.

She won Most Popular Newcomer at the 2008 National Television Awards and was twice nominated for the ‘Sexiest Female’ at the British Soap Awards.

She said: “I have got quite a lot of die-hard fans who are brilliant, but there’s also a lot of people who don’t realise it’s me until half-way through.